


I knew I loved you then

by Cricket_crazy28



Category: Cricket RPF
Genre: (But he's secretly very fond), Candles, Established Relationship, Fluff, Grumpy Jimmy Anderson, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Idiots in Love, M/M, Slight tailenders ref, proposal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-22
Updated: 2020-05-22
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:56:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24319189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cricket_crazy28/pseuds/Cricket_crazy28
Summary: Jos comes home after a long day, and wants nothing more than a bath and a cuddle from his boyfriend. But said boyfriend has much bigger plans.
Relationships: Jimmy Anderson/Alastair Cook(implied), Jos Buttler/Joe Root
Comments: 24
Kudos: 13





	I knew I loved you then

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Rosetylars](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rosetylars/gifts), [j_obsessed](https://archiveofourown.org/users/j_obsessed/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Joseph Root, since when do you sleep on the couch?!](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23855560) by [j_obsessed](https://archiveofourown.org/users/j_obsessed/pseuds/j_obsessed). 



> This is my first Cricket fic, so any feedback will be more than appreciated. This is something my lockdown induced brain came up with so hopefully it's not too bad. This is inspired by a wonderful piece by @j_obsessed which is one of the best things I've ever read. Thank you also to my darling bff, who has put up with me and my charged rants about Joseph and anything else for god knows how long. I love you soo much. This is dedicated to two of my absolute faves @rosetylars and @j_obsessed, who are both legends and deserve the world. Ilsym <333

Jos had had an exhausting day. After five back to back meetings with various sponsors and ECB people, the only thing he wanted , as he made the familiar journey back to his flat, was a long bath and a cuddle from his boyfriend. When he thought about his blonde boyfriend, his mood automatically began to lift and a small smile made its way onto his face as he drove. 

When he entered the house, the first thing he noticed was a long line of candles lining both sides of the hallway, leading all the way to the entrance of the living room. Intrigued about what his boyfriend had done this time, Jos toed off his shoes and began to walk down the corridor. 

As he approached the living room he heard the opening cords to a very familiar song. One of his absolute favourites - their song. 

Then an equally familiar voice with a slight Yorkshire twang began to sing the opening lines 

> _ "I met you in the dark, you lit me up _
> 
> _You made me feel as though I was enough_
> 
> _We danced the night away, we drank too much_
> 
> _I held your hair back when_
> 
> _You were throwing up. "_

When Jos got to the living room, the sight in front of him was enough to melt his heart and keep him happy for the rest of his life. His Yorkie ball of sunshine was stood in the middle of a love heart of candles, wearing a tuxedo and softly strumming his guitar to the song that had been playing when they first got together.  Joe looked up with a nervous smile on his face and continued to sing. 

> " _Then you smiled over your shoulder_
> 
> _ For a minute, I was stone-cold sober _
> 
> _ I pulled you closer to my chest _
> 
> _ And you asked me to stay over _
> 
> _ I said, I already told ya _
> 
> _ I think that you should get some rest"  _

But then suddenly, much to the confusion of Jos, he stopped playing his guitar and pulled out his phone, pressed a button and got down on one knee. Jos's hands flew to his mouth. As Joe sang the next verse alongside the music coming from his phone, he pulled out a small box from the pocket of his tuxedo. Jos's eyes filled with tears as he realised what was about to happen. 

> _ "I knew I loved you then _
> 
> _ But you'd never know _
> 
> _ 'Cause I played it cool when I was scared of letting go _
> 
> _ I know I needed you _
> 
> _ But I never showed _
> 
> _ But I wanna stay with you until we're grey and old _
> 
> _ Just say you won't let go _
> 
> _ Just say you won't let go" _

"Joseph Charles Buttler, I have loved you since the first time I saw you when we were just fifteen. We've been through everything together, from that disastrous ashes and World Cup to the wonderful highs of the ashes in 2015. You've kept me sane for the last I don't know how many years, as my best friend and teammate, then as my roommate and confidant and then as my boyfriend and lover. Now I would like you to spend the next chapter of my life with me and the next chapter and the chapter after that and every other chapter after that. I love you with all my heart, and I can't imagine spending the rest of my life with anyone else. So Jossy, would you do me the honour of becoming my husband?" 

At this Jos leapt into the heart of candles and pulled Joe into a long, passionate kiss. 

"Yes, you idiot. I would absolutely love to marry you and become your husband." The words flew out of Jos's mouth along with the stream of tears that had been steadily flowing for the last few minute. Joe then pulled him into another kiss, one that tasted slightly salty due to the tears running down both of their faces, but neither of them cared, they were so happy that nothing could have bothered them in that moment. 

When they finally ran out of breath, they broke apart, foreheads still touching, neither of them willing to let go of each other just yet. Then suddenly Joe remembered, "The ring" he breathed out against Jos's lips, sending a shiver down his spine and then Joe bent down to pick it up from where it had fallen, when Jos had pulled him in for a kiss, dangerously close to a candle, but thankfully far away enough not to start a huge fire.

* * *

Though when he thought about it later, Joe realised that it would have been very much in keeping with their relationship, for them to start a fire right after he had proposed. After all he was the prince of clumsy ness (Finny being the King of course).

* * *

Jos looked at him, with a confused expression on his face which then cleared when he saw Joe lean back up to him and show him a small box with a glinting platinum band in it two stones in centre stage in the middle, one a baby blue colour and the other one a clear sea green and immediately Jos knew that it had been specifically chosen as it reflect the colours of their eyes. 

* * *

In actual fact, the ring had been chosen for that exact reason by Joe, Ali and Jimmy; who had spent an entire afternoon last week, going into several jewellery shops and trying to find the perfect ring. It had actually been Ali, who had suddenly spotted this one in a shop window and immediately Joe knew that it was the one. He felt that it fitted the two of them perfectly. So they went in and within fifteen minutes they left the shop with an extremely happy but nervous Joe, an endeared Ali and a fond but relieved Jimmy. 

( Jimmy didn't say this out loud for fear of being subjected to an even whinier Joe, but he had been starting to get annoyed by it all and couldn't wait to go home and do some recycling to relax.)

* * *

"It's absolutely gorgeous" whispered Jos, unable to tear his eyes away from the ring that marked him as Joe's. 

"It is isn't it." Replied Joe softly. But when Jos looked up, it was clear the ring hadn't been what Joe had been talking about, as Joe's eyes were trained on him admiring him as if he were the most beautiful piece of art on the planet. Jos let out a little giggle when he realised this and Joe looked at him and wordlessly pulled him into a tight hug.

I can't believe you're officially my fiancé now" whispered Joe under his breath. "I love you so much darling." 

"I love you too. So much. And I promise that I will never ever stop." 

After a few more minutes of standing in the strong of arms of his ~~boyf~~ , no fiancé, Joe suddenly smelt something burning in the kitchen. 

"Shit" He screamed and ran to the kitchen. 

Jos called after him, extremely confused as to what had happened that caused the younger blonde to run away so fast, and follow. Still scowling at his lasagne, Joe noticed that the wicketkeeper was standing in the doorway, clearly finding the scene in front of him funny but trying to not burst out laughing. 

"This is all your fault, you do know that right, Jossy." Whined Joe pouting at his Fiancé. 

Confused, Jos, walked up to him, winding his arm around the blue-eyed boy's waist and asked" And why would that be?"

"Because you're so damn cute and I completely forgot about the lasagne because of your stupid, good-looking, stupid, adorable face,” lamented Joe loudly, burying his face it to the shorter man's neck, tickling it with his breath.

Jos let out a small laugh and then wound his arms around his ball of sunshine. 

"I'll tell you what baby, rather than you worrying about your lasagne, why don't we order pizza and watch a movie, because I really want to cuddle with my fiancé."

Jos more felt than heard the "okay", that was mumbled into his neck, sending a shiver down his neck and then he got an idea. Moving very slowly, he dropped his arms from around Joe and picked him up bridal style to carry him back to the living room, emitting a loud squeal from Joe, ( though he would never ever admit it, when questioned afterwards). When they got back into the living room, Jos unceremoniously dropped Joe on the sofa and got to work blowing out all of the candles, so none of them could start a fire. But the younger batsman had other ideas. As soon as Jos began to get off the sofa, Joe pulled him back into a long kiss, one that was sweet and passionate and made sure that he knew just how much Joe loved him. 

"What was that for?" asked Jos, a blush coating his cheeks, when they finally broke apart a few minutes later. 

"I love you" replied Joe simply and pulled him into another long kiss but by this time, his eyes had darkened and rather than sweet, it was a kiss that was deep and showed how inextricably they belonged to each other. 

"Let's take this to bed, babe" said Joe, murmured in a low

"Wait, let me just turn these candles out then we can go to bed." came the reply.

"Nope, you can do that later, Jossy, for now I want you." said Joe in his 'captain voice'

As ever, Jos was unable to deny Joe anything he wanted, even though he knew that it always came back to bite him. So he let himself be dragged to bed already forgetting about anything that wasn't his blonde fiancé.

******

If they ended up shivering outside of their building, a few hours later, because one of the candles had set off the fire alarm, then no one ever had to know; and if Joe couldn't take his eyes off his fiancé whilst he was scolding him for distracting him from making sure that the candles were out, no one had to know that either.


End file.
